Auriphone.



PATENTED 11111.21, 1908.

D. O. FOSGATE.

AURIPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1a, 1907.

A T'TOR/VEI/S DANIEL O.l FOSGATE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AURIPHON'E.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1908.

Application iiled April 18. 1907; `Serial No. 369.033.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL O. FoseATE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and usehil Auriphone, of which the following-is aspeciication.

yThis invention relates to an auriphone, or ear trumpet, of that type inwhich a diaphragm is employed in the mouthpiece to augment the wavesounds produced by a person speaking into the same, and it relates moreparticularly to the construction of the mouthpiece.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify theconstruction and operation ol' devices of this character vso as to becomparatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture and thoroughlyreliable and eiiicient in use.

A further object ofthe invention is to prof' vide a mouthpiece whichpossesses superior intensifying qualities so that the vslightest soundsbecome audible, this being due to the.

particular form of chamberbehind the diaphragm whereby. the wave soundsare so aected that they are greatly intensified on their way through thespeaking tube.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple form ofconnection be-` tween the flexible sound conducting tube and themouthpiece, whereby the parts are readily and irmly united.

vVYith these objects in view, land others, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the invention comprises thevarious novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, whichwill be more fully described hereinafter and setforth with particularityin the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illus` trates one of the embodimentsof the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the speaking tubeshowing the parts of the mouthpiece detached and arranged in theirrelative positions. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section ofthe mouthpiece' with parts of the sound conducting tube in elevation.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

vReferring to the drawing, A designatesthe mouthpiece, .B the tubularear piece, and C The open end 6 of the trumpet, which is pre sented tothe mouth of the speaker, is

- formed with a rounded rim 7 ,and from the opening 6 the trumpetexpands inwardly toward the ilanged end 5. The diaphra rn 2, which maybe made from sheet hard ru ber,

steel or mica, but preferably the latter, as it i transmits a moredistinct andvclearer sound, is of such a size that its periphery isilush with the ilan'ge 5 of the shield or trumpet l. The disk 3 is ofabout thelsarneI diameter as the diaphragm and is provided withanexternalthread 8 on its periphery for receiving the ring 4. The ring 4is formed at its top with an inwardly extending annular flange 9 .thatengages over the flange 5 ofthe trumpet 1, so that the diaphragm 2 isfirmly clamped between the disk or back 3 and the' trumpet.

The inner surface of the disk or back 3 is annularly concaved so as toform an annu# lar basin-like'ohamber having a centralcone 10- the apexof which'lis located about one sixteenth of an inch from the diaphragmvin .trumpets adapted for' ordinary use. By ,means of this cone,` the.sound waves roduced bx the diaphragm are divided an intensifie as theyare conveyed to the tube C.

In connection with this form of sound transmitting chamber, a pluralityof avenues for the sound waves .-to pass through are provided, whichavenues unite at a suitable point with the'4 -receiving end' of thesound.conducting tube C. For this purpose, the fdisk 3 is formed With anumber of nipples 11 to which are attached the branches 1-2 of the tubeC.` To increase the iiexibility of the devviceat the mouthpiece, thebranches 12 are preferably shprt pieces of rubber tubing which areconnected with the main tube C by a Y-couplin 13 which is of hardrubber. T'o securely ho d the branches 12 on the nipples 11, the latterare formed with beads 14 and the branches 1 2 are fitted over the niples. Around the nipples, and ends of the ru ber tube 13 on the nipples,are the sleeves '15,

. the invention apert'ains.

preferably of hard rubber or metal. vThese sleeves are oi such-adiameter that the pieces oftubing 12 are compressed'at the ,beads 14, asshown in Fig. 2, s that the sleeves and beads serve as vclamping meansfor securely holding the parts together, and the rigid sleeves serve toprevent bending and breakof the tubes adjacent to the nipples.

a e `'.lrtlrie branches 412 canbe readily detached from the mouthpieceby working the sleeve 15 downwardly on the said branches, until theyclear the beads 14, whereupon the banches can be readily pulled oii thenip- From the foregoingv description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in theart towhich In operation, the sound waves pro uced by the speaker'svoice cause the diaphragmin the mouth iece to vibrate so that the air onthe back side ofthe diaphragm is also set into vibration. These wavesounds are divided by the cone 10 and intensified thereby and by theparticular shape of the chamber formed betweenthe diaphragm and disk 3.`These intensified sound waves are then directed through the branches ofthe sound conducting tube and then come together in the latter,whereupon they are transmitted to the ear of the hearer.

The` sensitiveness of the instrument is such that it can beusedsuccessfully as a. stethoscope for testing the action" of the heart.When used in this manner, the mouthpiece 1l is placed against the bodyof the person being' examined, while the ear piece B is, of course, heldto the ears of .the physician. It has been found in practice lthat theinstrument is'so sensitivethat the hearts action can be heard distinctlythrough heavy clothing and even while a person is wearing a heavy winterovercoat.

I have described the principle ofv opera-H tion of the invention,together with the apparatus which I now consider to be .the bestembodiment thereof, but I desire to have .it understood that the alparatus shown isv merely illustrative, andt at various changes may bemade, as are within the scope of the What is claimed isrj 1. In aninstrument ofthe class described, the combination of'a mouthpiece, asingle soundconducting tube, and a multiple connection between themouthpiece and tube.

i 2. In an instrument of the class described,

the combination of a mouthpiece, a single sound conducting tube, and aIplurality of branches connecting the mout piece with vthe tube.

3. In an instrument ofthe class. described, the combination ofamouthpiecehaving a .back of t e diaphragm flexible tubes and soundconducting tube.

6. In an instrument of the class described,

. the combinationwith a disk having an annular eoncavity in one facethereof to form a projecting r1m and provided with a substantiallyconical raised portion projecting from the center of the eoncavity, of adomeshaped shield. secured to the disk havin a eoncavity facing that ofthe latter, an a dia hra m interposed between the shield an dis andseparating the concavities thereof.

7. In a mouthpiece comprisin a shield, a

diaphragm extending across t e same, a member at the back of thediaphragm, and a means connected with the member and deta'chably4engaging the shield for clamping he diaphragm between the latter andmem- 8. A mouthpiece comprising a shield having a peripheral iiange atone end, a diaphragm extending across the said end and earing a ainstthe flan e, a member at the avin a peripheral aging t e t read and angedetachably enthread, and a ring e having. an internal gaging the flangeof the shield to hold the parts in place.

' 9. In an instrument of the class described, .the combination of ashield, a diaphragm, a'member on oneside ofthe diaphragm having anannular hollow and a central vconical portion, means for clamping themember and shield together with the diaphragm between them',nipples onthev member communicating with the hollow thereof, a pair of branches.connected with ,the nipples and a single f t e sound conductorconnected to both said branches.

10. In an instrument of the class described,

the combination with a disk having an anvnular eoncavity in one facethereof to form a projecting rim and provided with a substantiallyconical raised portion projecting from they center of the eoncavity, ofa domeshaped shield secured to the disk having a eoncavity facing thatof the latter, a dia,-

fphragm interposed between the shield and disk and separating vtheconcavities thereof,

a pair of nipples on the disk communicating with the annular eoncavitythereof, a

lbranched pipe having its branches connected to the respective nipples,and la single sound conducting tube connected to receive the sound fromboth branches of thebranoh pipe.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination ,with a diskhaving an annular concavity therein and provided With a conical portionraised above the center of the concavity, Vand a diaphragm mounted incoperative relation With the disk and adapted to vibrate in proximity tothe conical portion thereof7 of a dome-shaped shield ari ranged incooperative relation With the diaphragm and opposite to the concavity ofthe disk, the latter and the shield forming sub- In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as posite sides my` own, I have hereto affixed mysignature '20 v in the presence of tWo Witnesses.;

DANIEL O. FOSGATE.

Witnesses:

CHAs. R. JonNsoN, F. J. SWAUsH.

aving a re- 15

